Philadelphia's Councilmanic Prerogative: How It Works and Why It Matters

This report examines the Philadelphia legislative practice known as "councilmanic prerogative," through which individual City Council members make nearly all of the land use decisions in their jurisdictions. This report on councilmanic prerogative is grounded in extensive analysis of city records and interviews with dozens of government officials, developers, political figures, academics, and community advocates. It is the first independent examination of the practice in the city